Earth-boring machine



` April 8, 1930.

J. K, HENCKEN vEARTH BORING MACHINE Filed June 1e, 1928 5 sheets-sen 1 l YNVENTOR.

7" ATTORNEYS.

April 8, 19,30.

J. l K. HENcKEN EARTH lBORING MACHINE' Filed June 16, 19128 `5 Sheets-Sheet- 2 INVENTOR.

ATzoRNEYs.

April 8, l9i--V` .1.V K. HENcKl-:N

I .lEABTH BORING MACHINE Filed June 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet .5

Jil.

IN VEN TOR.

23 J0 We BY i 3035 37 .4 l "ATTORNEYS,

Patented Apr. 8, 1.9 30` JOHN' KQ HENGKEN, or BROOKLYN, NEW Yom:

EAR'iYnTBOBING MACHINE Application led .Tune 16,

This invention relates to earth boring machines and hasfparticular reference to`machines especially adapted for use in drilling deep wells such as oil, artesian and other tioned by which drillingsoperations may be .expeditiously performed and by which ac -v curacy and perpendicularity of the wellsmay.

be insured.

Another object of the invention -is vto provide a simple and effective vmeans by which the loosened. material lat the bottom of the Well may be easily removed therefrom as the drilling operation progresses. A further object of the invention is to provide a generally improved machine of `the character mentioned which is strong, durable, economic in operation and reliable in use. Other objects. and 'advantages of the invention will become apparent`from the f ollowing description .taken in connection with the' ac( ampanying drawings in which Figure l'is aview partly in elevation and partly in section of the machine in operating position at the bottom of a well; Figure 2 is a horizon-v -tal sectional view taken -on the'line 2.-f2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a central'vertical sectional view, taken at right angles to the horizontal axis of rotation of the hammer or digging elements, with the machinev turned through an arc of 180. withrespect to 'its position shown lin Figure 1 and vwith the material-receiving bucket removed; Figure 4.is a central vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, certain elements of the impact delivering unit being shown in elevation; Figure 5 is a plan view of the body portion of the machine with the upper turbine -and its cap member removed;` and Figure 6 l is a sectional View taken'on' the line 6-6 of Figure 4, certain elements of the impact delivering unit beingshown in plan.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1() indicates a depending support adapted td'be lowered into an excavation such as a well as the boring or drilling thereof progresses. This support isprovided with a central longi- I tudinalpassage 11, throughwhch a suitable An important object of the invention isto provide a machine of the character men` y the blades 26 of the rotor 25.

1928` .Serial No. 285,839.

fluid, such as water under pressure, may be delivered lto the apparatus', hereinshown, to serve as a propelling medium as will hereinafter-:be described. The depending support.

10 is provided at its lower'end with a header 55- l2, which is vformed with a plurality of diverging passages 13, all ofwhich comm-unicate with the passage 11 and with an annular channel 14 formed in the lower part of the l header. To the solid portion of the header e0 12, which is surrounded by the annular chany nel 14 is secured a stator member or plate 1.6, r; 'having formed therein a plurality of portsv `g 17 which communicate With-the channel 14.,

Over the header l2 is arranged a rotatable 65 i cap 18, whichis journaled upon the depending supportl 10 and is so suspended therefrom, through. the use of' a suitable ball or other H anti-friction bearing 19, as to permit the cap 18 to freelyfrotate withrespect to the head'- 70 f The cap 18is provided at its lower end with an outwardly projecting peripheral flange 20 to which is bolted a depending head 21, comprising a body portion 22, an end portion 23, and side plates 24. To the upper en'd of the body portion 22 is secured' rotor 25 which together with stator member 16 associated with 'the header 12 serveaas a Huid motor of the -turbine vtype Aadapted to be acted upon so. and operated by Huid pressure,- received from the'passage '1 1 of the depending support 1D0, whereby rotation of the head 21 about a vertical 'axis is effected. =The rotor 25 is provided j with a plurality of radially disposed blades 8.5 l

26,to the outer ends ofwhich is secured an lannular' ring 27, which conforms to the contour-of the adjacent inner wall of the cap 18. and forms with the central hub portion of the rotor 25 an annular channel I29 located. 90 adjacent the upper end of the body portionv 22 of the head 21,- .the annular channel 29 being adapted to` receive the fluid actuating medium after vhaving exerted its influence upon `Within the lower end of the'head 21 is mounted an impact delivering unit which includes a pair lof turbine rotors 30.- These rotors 30 are secured to a horizontally disposed shaft 31,- opposite ends ofl which are mounted. I

5 matter, encountered during a well-drilling operation, by the side plates 24 which are suitably secured to the end portion 23 adjacent opposite ends of the shaft 31. Between the rotors 30 are located a. plum rality of impact-delivering hammers 35,

which are of such al'e'ngth as to project an appreciable distance'beyond the peripheral surface -of the head 21 as they are rotatedv about the axis of thev rotors 30 with which I they are adapted to revolve. These hammers 35 are pivotally mounted upon'pins 36 carried within suitable openings formed in the rotors 30 parallel to their common laxis of rotation,

`the pins being held against end-Wi-se movement toward the right, as viewed in Figure 4,

.by reason of the fact that their corresponding' ends are provided with shoulders 37 which labut the inner face of the rotor 30. appearing 'j at the right in that figure. y endwise movement of the pins 36 in an oppo- For preventing site'direction, the rotor 30, appearing at the` left inFigur-e 4,- is provided with a locking -1 ring 38 which is connected to the rotor 30 appea-ring at the-left in Figure 4 and is held nprmally against movement with respect thereto by suitable securing kmeans such as a j screw 39. In orderv to enable the pins 36 to be easily removed when'it is desired to replace the hammers 35, the locking ring y38 isv prov vided with an opening 40 which is normally positioned out of alignment with each of the pins 36. By removing the screw 39, the locking ring 38 may be so rotated rwith respect to the rotor -30 to which such ring is 4o secured as to bring the opening 40 into regis- -tration with either of the pins '36, access to the screw 39 -being ,had through aregistering ope `1ng 42 formed in the adjacent bearing b ck 34. As shown in Figure 6, access is H had to this opening 42 by removal of the-adjacent side plate 24. Upon removal of this side plate, and'aligning the opening-40 with the opening 42 and with the pin 36 to be yre` moved, a suitable screw threaded instrument,

not shown, may be inserted through the openings 42 and 40 and screwed into a screw threaded opening 44 formedin the end of the pin 36, whereupon the pin may be easily Withdrawn as will be readily understood. In

order to remove the other pin 36,-the locking ring 38 is rotated about the axis of the rotors 30 until the opening 40 is brought into registration with such remaining pin 36 whereupon. that pin may be similarly withdrawn.

.60 Removal of the pins 36 enables replacement of the hammers 35 to be readily made, after which thedocking flange 38 is secured, by the.

' screw 39, to its rotor` 30 in such a position` as to maintain the -opening 40 out of registra- 55 tionflwith each of the pins 36, and the side plate 24, attached, efectively covering up the opening 42. F

In the case of deep wells having a large head of water therein, considerable hydrostatic pressure is encountered. `In order to equalize the hydrostatic pressure in the vicinity ofthe bearings of the shaft 31 and thereby make possible'the maintenance of.

proper lubrication of such bearings, a pair of pressure transmitting conduits 46 are pro,-` vided in the body-portion 22 which open exteriorly of the head 21, throughirelatively i' narrow ports 47 intermediate the body portion 22 and the side plates 24, and communircate through passages 48 with the upper ends of grease chambers49 which communicate with stuing boxes 50. through which opposite ends ofthe shaft 31 project, communication of the greasehcharnbersrwith the stuffing Y boxes being aHorded through registeringl ducts, 51 and v52 Vformed respectively in the body portion 122 and bearing blocks 34. The grease chambers 49 are provided with floating pistons 53, which aref-normallyurgedl down- Wardly` by compression springs 54, arranged over the pistons .53V and abutting against screw threaded plugs 56 screwed into the upper screw threaded ends of the chambers 49. `The greaseJ chambers 49 may be charged with lubricant by asuitable-instrument, such as a grease gun, through charging openings 57 which are formed in the bodyportion 22 andJ communicatewith the grease chambers 49' at-'their respective lower ends, the openings 57 being normally `closed by removable screw threaded plugs 58. Incharging the chambers 49 with lubricant, the psitons 53 are displaced, thereby compressing the springs 54- so that they exert sutli'cient influence upon the pistons 53 to cause them to movev downwardly along the walls of. the chamber 49 as the lubricant is gradually consumed within the stuflingboxes 50 with whichy the grease chambers communicate.` From the preceding description it will be readily 'appreciated that since the grease chambers 49 at one side of their respective pistons 53 com- -municate with the stutling boxes 50 and since such grease chambers at the opposite sides of their respective pistons communicate with 'the outside of the head 21, a pressure is set up in the vicinity of the parts to be lubricated equal to the hydrostatic pressure encountered when operating under a head of water, with 'the result' that unobstructed transmission of lubricant from the chambers 49 to the shaft`31 is permitted. j

The body portion 22 is provided with a pair of conduits 60 which lead from'the annular channel 29, adjacent the rotor 25 at the upper end of the head 2 1, to the respective ,-intak'e ports 61 of the rotors30 at the lower end ofthe head so that fluid' pressure, from the turbine at the upper end ofthe head 21 composed of the stator and rotor members 16 and 25,

l TO

" proper timev for withdrawing the machine 63 of the rotors 30,' such fluid passes through the passages 62 into the conduit 64 from which it is directed ontothe outer ends of the hammers 35 as they pass the outlet end of the conduit 64, whereby rotation of the hammers about the axis of@ the shaft 31 is augmented as will be readily understood.

As the escaping iluidleaves the conduit 64 it is directed downwardly and in the general directionof the cutting and breaking action of the hammers and assists that action and carries the loosened ,material away from the bottomof the well and upwardly between the wall of the well and the 'peripheral surmay be readily calculated, since the volu- Y metric capacity of the bucket 68 is knownand the amount of material loosened by the hammers 35 for each unit of depth that the machine is lowered is readily'ascertainable. While only one form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will ybe understood thatl various modifications and 4. In an earth boring .inachine, a head, a pair of fluid actuated rotors journaled in said head and adapted for rotation about the oo ml mon horizontal axis, a plurality of impact delivering hammers pivotally connected to said rotors and` adapted to move therewith about the common axis thereof, and fluid` actuated means for bodilyl moving said rotors together with said hammers about a vertical axis.

5. In an earth boringmachine, a head, a luid motor associated with saidheadfor rotating thesame about a perpendicular axis,- a fluid motor having a rotatable member journaled in said head for rotation about a lhorizontal axis and having its intake side communicating with the delivery side ofthe first mentioned fluid motor vwhereby the exhausted fluid from the iirst named motor is utilized as a propelling medium for the secsoV ond named' motor, an impact hammer connected to the rotatable member of the second named motor and adapted to be-rotated about said horizontal axis.

6. Inan earth -boring, machine, a head, a

vfluid motor associated with said head for ro- Ltating thev same about a perpendicular-axis',

a Huid motor hav-ing a rotatable member journaled in said 'head for rotation about a horizontal axis and having its intake side communicating with the delivery side of the iirst`mentioned' fluid motor whereby. the exf hausted fluidfrom the first nained motor is utilized as a propelling medium'for the second named motor, an impact hammer con- .changes may be resorted to vwithout departnected to therot'atable member of the second ing from the spirit of the inventionorlgthe scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: l f 1. In an earth boring machine, `an impactv delivering unit comprising a rotatable mem- .ber having an impact delivering element piv# u means for bodilymoving said 'unitabout a E perpendicular axis.

' hammer pivotally connected to said rotors otally -connected thereto, means for actuating "said rotatable element whereby said impact t delivering hammer is .rotated about`the axis of said rotatable member, and actuating 2. In an earth boring machine, an impact delivering unit comprising. a motor-having a rotatable member adapted -for rotation. about a horizontal axis, and a plurality of impact delivering hammers pivotally connected to said rotatable member and Vadapted to bemoved therewith about its axis of rotation, and actuating means for rotating said unit about a vertical axis. j. n

3. In anl earth boring machine, an impact delivering un1t-compr1s1ng a pa1r of rotors connected together and adapted for rotation about a horizontal axis, anrimpact delivering and adapted to. be rotated thereby abouaid horizontal axis, and actuating,means for ro' ci tating said unit abouta verti'eal axis.

7. In ,an ,earth boring machine, a fluid motor having relatively rotatable turbine members, a depending stationary support having one'of 'said turbine' members yassociated therewith, arotatable head journaled 'upon' and supported :by said depending support and having t-he other of said turbine members associated therewith, means for di'- I'ecting fluid pressure into said fluid motor for rotating said head about a vertical axis,.

an impact delivering hammer mounted at the* lower end of said head for rotation about a horizontal axis, and a fluid motor for rotat` lng said hammer aboutdsaid hor1zontal axis,

and means for maintaining communication bet-Ween the outlet of the first named motor and the inlet ofA the second named 'motor whereby the actuating medium of the first. namedl motor is utilized as the actuating medium of the second named motor.

8. In an earth -boring machine, a fluid motor having' relatively rotatable turbine.

members, a depending stationary support down uponthe outer ends of the hammers 35 as they rotate in the direction of the arrow respectively, may be utilized as the propelling medium for the rotors 30. The body portion 22 is also formed with a pair of outlet conduits 62 which. lead from the outlet ports 63 vof the rotors upwardly through the body portion 22 to the upper end thereof, at which point they come together, thus forming a single conduit 64 which leads across thebody portion 22 and then extends downwardly, as

i A of Figure 3, with the result that such energy as is possessed -by ,the fluid at .thetime f it issues from the port 65 of the conduit 64 is utilized to further facilitate rotation of the hammers about the axis of the shaft 31,

and additionally the fluid is discharged in the general direction of the cutting and breaking action of the hammers and assists this action and in the removal of the dbris from this action.' It is deemed advisable that the port 65 of the conduit 64 bein proximity to the circle described by the outerv ends of the hammers 35 as they are rotated about the anis of the shaft 31, and forthat reason the insert 66 is made removable so that different 'sizes ofsuch inserts may be employed, de-

pending upon the ployed. y

length of the hammers em,- f I Since the lshaft 31 is oil-set with respect to the axisof the head 21, as will 'be clearly seen from, Figure 3, shorter hammers 35 than would be `necessary were the shaft' 31lcentrally located, may/be employed to provlde a igiven clearance between the peripheral `sur face of the head 21 a'nd the wall of the well. The clearance, however, between the wal-l of th well and the peripheral surface of the 'h ad 21 is relatively slight, inasmuch asit is desirable to maintain a substantialrate of flow of fluid from the discharge'passage 64 upward along the wall of the well to carry upward the loosened material from the bottom of the wall as it fis displaced or severed by the hammers 35.

Uponthe peripheral flange 20, at the lower end of the cap 18, is mounted an upwardly projecting cylindricalbucket 68, the upper end of which is open and is held in a xed relation to the depending support 10 by a plurality of inwardly and downwardly projecting braces 69 which engage the depending support and are suitably connected thereto. The lower end of the bucket' 68 is provided with a plurality of discharge openings 71 which may be closed by a valve ring 72 rotatably mounted intermediate a shoulder f 73 formed in the wall of the bucket and a collar 74 secured. to the lower endof the bucket.

This valve ring 72 is provided with a plurality of openings 76 which are adapted to register with the openings 71Fupon rotation of the valve ring, the spacing of the openings 71 with respect to each other and of the open ings 76 with respect to each other being such that the solid portions of the valve ring 72 intermediatethe opening 76 thereof overlie the openings 71 when the valve ring 72 is positioned as shown in Figure 2. The openings 76 arel closed when the boring machine is in the well.

It will be noted that the diameter of the bucket 68 is equal to the diameter of the head 21 and that the space afforded between the wall of the welland 4the peripheral surface of thebucket 68 is the same as the space intermediate the wall of the Well and the peripheral surface of the head 21, with the result that the rate of How of the iuid discharged from the discharge passage' 64 is maintained funifo'rm as such fluid rises from the vbottoni of the well to the top of the bucket 68. As the fluid passes from the space afforded between the wall of the well and the bucket 68 into the bore of the well above thetop of the bucket,

the point at which it is desired to drill the well and there suitably suspended by the support 10, which is held so as to resist rotation, whereupon a suitable fluid, suchl as water under pressure, is admitted tothe passage 11 therein. The fluid pressure is directed from the passage 11 into and through'the turbine 'at theupper end of the head21, 'thereby .causing the head ,to rotate on the bearings 19 about a vertical axis. The fluid pressure, as it leaves the turbine at the upper end of the head 21,' is directed through the conduit 60 to the rotors 30 of the turbines in the lower end of the head, thereby causing the hammers 35 to rotate in the direction of the arrow A, as shown in Figure 3, about the of thebody porti`on22 and the w'all ofthe4 Well as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. As the propelling fluid passes from the outlet ports having on'e of .said turbine members associated therewith, a rotatable headjournaled ppon and supported by said depending support and having the other of saidturbme Ymembers associatedtherewith, means for directing fluid pressureo into said Huid motor for rotating'said head about a vertical axis',`

an impact delivering hammermounted at the lower end of said. head for rotation about a path ofsaid hammer.

horizontal axis, and a iluidmotor for rotating said hammer about Said horizontalv axis, cation and meansl formaintaining communiytor whereby the actuating mediumf the first named motor is utilized as the actuating medium of the second named motor, and

means for utilizing the actuating-fluid from the second namedmotor fonmremoving material from the bottom of a wellout of the 9. In an earth boring machine,

tor .having relatively'rotatable turbine memberska depending stationary support having a Huid passage adapted to deliver fluid pressure to said motoriand having one of said turbine members associated therewith, a ro'- 4tatable head journaled upon and depending from said supportI and having the other of said turbine members, connected ltherewith and lcooperating with one of said turbine members for rotating said head about a ver'- tical axis, said head also having a fluid cOnduit leading from the outlet-side of said motor, a second motorw having a rotatable mem- Jber journaled in thelower end of said head for rotation about a horizontal axis and haying its inlet side in communication. with sald i I conduit whereby the dischargedluid from the first named motor is utilized as the propelling medium of the secondnamed motor, and a plurality of impact delivering hammers con-` nected with the rotatable member of the second motor for rota-tion' aboutsaid horizontal axls. 410. In an earth boring-machine, a fluid motor having relatively?rotatableA turbine members, a depending stationary supporti between the loutletofthe rst named motor and the inlet of the second named moa iiuid mohaving ya fluid passage adapted to`.deliver members, a depending .stationary support fluidv pressure to said'motor and having onel Pof saidturbine members associated there- .wi-th, a rotatable headjournaled upon and depending from said support and 'having the other of said turbine members connected ltherewith and cooperating with one ofv said turbine members for rotating s aid head about 'a vertical axis, said head alsoshaving a Huid conduit-.leading from the outlet side of said. I

-motor, a second. motor having a rotatable member journaled in the lower end of said 4head for rotation about a horizontal axis and having its 1nlet \side in communication with said conduit whereby the discharge fluid from thev first named motor is utilized as the pro- 'pelling medium of the second named motor,

and a 'plurality'of impact delivering ham- Y mers connectedj with the rotatable member of .the second motor for rotation about said horizontal axis, a material receiving bucket carried bysaidhead at the upper end thereof and havingv its upper("end open, and means for utilizing the discharge fluid :Eromthe second named motor to float the displaced material at the bottom of the well out of the path 1 of said hammers and upwardly along` the, wall of a well and into. saidvbucket, and valve discharging. the contents thereof. 4 In testimony .vv/hereof, I'have aiiixed my signature to this specification.

Jol- 1N -KLHENCKEN havinga fluid passage adapted to deliver fluid pressure to said 'motor and having one of said turbinexmembers associated therewith, a rotatable head journaled uponand depending from said' support and having! the other o said turbine members connected therewithandcooperating with one of saidv turbine members for rtatingsaid head about a vertical axis, said head also having a Huid said conduit whereby the dsherge conduit leading trom the outlet side'o'f said motor, a second moto l.having rotatable member journaled in t lower e Ad of said 'A head for rotation about a horizontal axis and having its inlet side in communication vith uid from the first named motor is utilized as the propelling medium of the second named mol 13bY means at; the lower end oi. said bucket forv 

